Shi Tingfu, a resident of Nanjing city in China’s Jiangsu Province, was questioned by local authorities for his views on U.S. politics. The police allegedly tapped into one of Shi’s private phone conversations with a friend, in which he expressed support for President Donald Trump.
Jie Lijian, who currently lives in the United States, shared his friend Shi’s story with The Epoch Times. He also shared a copy of the local police’s summons notice for Shi.
In the morning hours of Dec. 5, Shi got a call from the police and was summoned to the local police station, a branch of Gulou district public security bureau in Nanjing city. Shi was accused of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” a charge often used by authorities to detain activists.
During the interrogation, the police repeatedly asked him why he “spreads online speech supporting Trump,” and when he had made a banner that he used in a video promoting the U.S. president.
They inquired about the relationship between Shi and Jie, the reason for their contacts, and if there were any overseas organizations behind them.
The police told Shi that they knew all about his conversations with Jie, that even a “cough” was recorded.
They warned him not to “speak blindly,” or he would “face consequences.”
Shi was released at about 4 p.m. that day.
Shi Tingfu: A Victim of Torture
Jie told The Epoch Times about Shi’s inhumane treatment by Chinese authorities.When Shi ran a market stall for a living, he was beaten by a group of thugs under the direction of powerful local political figures, according to Jie. Shi reported the incident to a higher court and went to Beijing to make an appeal, which angered local authorities.
In 2001, he was sentenced by a local court to four years in prison on an alleged charge of extortion after a trial was held without his family being informed, and without any lawyer or witness present at the court.
Shi was detained at the Yuhuatai Detention Center where he was beaten. His leg and hand were fractured, he suffered a concussion, and was denied access to medical treatment, Jie said. Consequently, he suffered from headaches, bronchitis, asthma, and memory loss.
On Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, Shi was again arrested by the local police for unspecified reasons, Jie said. There have been no recent updates on his status.
